Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Ryan Mouton and the Tennessee Titans came to terms today, according to Ken Zuckerman, the agent for the cornerback who played for Hawaii.The four-year contract is worth close to $2.5 million and can reach over $3 million if Mouton achieves certain milestones.

"This just caps off a successful post-season by Ryan," Zuckerman said. "He went from a projected free agent and a blip on the NFL radar to a top draft pick and it wasn't easy. He missed a couple of games during his senior season, pulled his hamstring at the East-West Shrine All-Star game, aggravated the same hamstring at the combine and did the same at Hawaii's pro day. In fact, he never completed a 40 yard dash healthy. However, with his tremendous upside and great character he was able to overcome all of these obstacles and still maintain to elevate his draft stock. I'm really proud of him and he deserves it!"

"I'm just looking forward to playing football again," Owens wrote. "Just trying to continue to live my dream and continue to do what I love to do."Owens has recovered from a torn ACL that abbreviated his indoor-league season last year.

A: “My goal is to get better in practice, understand the offense more and act more like a starting quarterback. I have to have an attitude that, if I’m called upon, I can do the job. It takes a lot of work. You’ve got to put in the time in learning the playbook and you’ve got to be a leader.

“When it comes time for preseason, I want to have four great games and I want everybody to step back and say, ‘Wow, look how much the kid has grown from last year.’

“When it comes time for the regular season, I just need to be ready because you can never predict anything. I want to be ready so that, if I’m called upon, we’re not going to be taking a step back.

“It’s going to be, ‘Let’s go have fun with this new kid under center.’”

Robert: You know who can still throw? TC. Todd Collins. He can THROW. I was dropping back in coverage thinking I was about to get him and that ball was there! I wouldn’t sleep on Colt Brennan either. Colt’s arm is crazy. You know what messes me up is his release. Most of the time you can time a quarterback’s release but that sidearm.Sugar: The coaches get on him for that?

Robert: I haven’t been really paying attention to that. I’m mixed up in my own battles. I can’t touch the ball when he throws, but I’ll try to change that in training camp. I remember watching him in your pre-season game last year, and he did real good.

The newly adopted "We Play For You" slogan and logo will be incorporated into UH's television, radio, and print advertising and included on all external items, including media guides, game programs, press releases, schedule cards, website (HawaiiAthletics.com), weekly e-newsletter (H-Mail), premium items, merchandise, etc.

"UH athletics belongs to the people of Hawai`i and we are proud to represent this state in major-college sports competition," Jim Donovan, athletics director, said. "Through national telecasts and NCAA competition, we've been able to spread the word about our incredible home and bring Hawaii into millions of households. This athletics program belongs to the fans and we play for them. So, we felt this marketing and advertising campaign was important to help communicate and reinforce this message."

On July 6, UH will begin airing football season-ticket commercials on K5, KHNL, ESPN, ESPN2, SPIKE, TNT, and CNBC. The commercials will feature various Hawaii citizens enthusiastically proclaiming: "I'm A Warrior" or "We Are Warriors." Action-packed highlights of UH football will be featured between the fans' clips and the commercials will conclude with the "We Play For You" slogan and logo.

I like it. I just hope they sell "They Play for Me" T-shirts. Fans wearing "We Play For You" t-shirts would be weird. They would totally work for the UH band though. Ooooh, they should sell "They Run Fake Punts For Me after I suggest it on Call the Coach" T-shirts. I'd buy it!

Tina Mata’afa of Samoa News has a wrap-up of the 2009 American Samoa Football Academy and Medical Mission. Here's an excerpt:

Students lined up following registration to get their Academy t-shirts signed by the likes of Oakland Raiders center Samson Satele and NFL great Jesse Sapolu, former San Francisco 49’ers offensive lineman and four-time Super Bowl champion.

Former defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders Ta’ase Faumui, former Denver Broncos tight end Ma’a Tanuvasa, a two-time Super Bowl Champion plus former NFL quarterback Jack “The Throwin’ Samoan” Thompson are also among the football celebrities in town for the Academy.

Students were led through speed and quickness drills by visiting coaches —Jones, McMackin, as well as three other coaches from SMU and two from Hawaii.

If ever there was a back you could count on for the tough yards when you really needed them, he was your guy.

And if ever there was a guy tailor-made for the spread -- as preached by Paul Johnson -- it was Sims.

The base play in the former UH offensive coordinator's attack is the fullback dive. Straight ahead, right behind the guard. Sims was built for it.

"Travis was a great fit for our offense and a really good person," said Johnson, now head coach at Georgia Tech. "He had great balance, good vision and deceptive speed for a guy his size. He had really big legs and broke a lot of tackles."

Said Sims, "I'm a kind of quick, fast-hitting guy. That offense was perfectly made for me. The first guy that I looked for was one of the DBs. I'd step up and hit him right in the mouth. I figured he'd be reluctant to step up there next time."

"If Tom Cable sees it, he's been in there for about four years now and the rest of the guys have been there for about six years. He's saying that these guys are working the hardest since he's been there. He always talks about we're not going to be like how we were the last five or six years, we're not going to be like those teams last year or the year before. It's the same things that Sporano said and it worked out good. The guys in Oakland we just got to believe in it and good things will happen," said Satele.

::::::

And Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee's 49ers blog takes a look at San Francisco's defensive line, including this analysis of Isaac Sopoaga.

Isaac Sopoaga, 6-2, 330. He's the strongest player on the team, he's athletic for a big man and he's entering his sixth year. So why hasn't Sopoaga had a bigger impact? The problem is that he's not an instinctual player. Sopoaga seems to be best the closer he is to the ball, which is why some inside the organization think he'd be better at nose tackle than at defensive end. His bulk certainly supports that hypothesis. Sopoaga, however, has said in the past that he's much happier at end than on the nose because he has less to worry about. What does that leave the 49ers with? A solid player who can't quite fulfill his potential.

Football was where his star was brightest. Kahuanui made honorable-mention All-America as a United Press International choice at defensive end in 1949.

"He was often the biggest guy on the field, in height," Asato said. "He wasn't the heaviest, but he wasn't too thin either, played around 190 pounds."

He was the first Rainbow to take part in the Shrine game, held in those days at Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park. Harry played end on offense and defense with equal brilliance, Asato said. "He was so good all-around it's hard to pick out one thing. Just a great player and a great natural athlete."

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Travis LaBoy talks to KHNL about recovering from ankle surgery, coming back to UH for his degree, and his desire to coach at UH some day in the future. Article includes video.

His rehab will keep him out of the upcoming year, but LaBoy has plans during his down time.

"I'll be out this season, probably try get a little school done, a little school work. We'll find out what I got left, hopefully it's not too much, but I got a feeling it's quite a bit so you might see a lot of me down here so don't make fun of me too much, I'm trying to get my work done," said LaBoy

"I'd love to come back to Hawaii and coach, not necessarily head coach, but you don't even gotta pay me, just let me be on the sideline and help these kids out, I don't really have any love feelings for any other colleges, so I'd definitely love to come back God willing you know?"

Terry McCormick of The Nashville City Paper talks to Ryan Mouton about recovering from his hamstring injury and what he expects going into this season.

Mouton had a hamstring issue when the Titans drafted him in the third round out of Hawaii in April. It limited him during the rookie orientation and the May OTA work. But of late, Mouton has been a full participant, despite tweaking his ankle a few days ago, and should project himself in the mix as a backup cornerback, dimeback and possibly in the kick return derby that features a number of players.

“I’m feeling a lot better. I feel like I’m 100 percent now. Hopefully, I can just go in there and contribute somewhere,” Mouton said. “It’s a learning process, but I feel like I’m picking it up well. Every day, I’ve just got to go in there and try to get better.”

"We felt like he was a guy who could possibly come in here and give us some depth in the secondary, as well as help us immediately on special teams," defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson said. "He's a very explosive guy, very physical tackler and he's got a little bit of knowledge of the game."

Mouton's top impact, barring an injury to Fuller or starting cornerbacks Cortland Finnegan and Nick Harper, likely will be as a gunner on special teams, taking the pressure off safety Michael Griffin.

Mouton will also compete for the kickoff and punt return jobs.

And some douchebag named "Lambo_Weezy" has been impersonating Davone Bess on Twitter, Ustream, and who knows where else. The impostor has been trash-talking other NFL players, asking people for money to appear at clubs, asking other Twitter users to pick up women for him, basically dragging Davone's name through the mud. Check out Finstache and the Phinsider for the details.

While Kalani Brackenridge continues to wrestle with his decision on which path to take next, he's thankful for the options before him.

"It's a great opportunity with these choices I have," Brackenridge said. "It's incredible."

Brackenridge, a defensive back from Kapolei, signed a letter of intent to join the Hawaii football team in February. Earlier this month, he was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

If he sticks with football, Brackenridge said, he'll grayshirt this season and join the Warriors next spring.

And some bad news for UH, as Kaneshiro notes that Chad Lopati, one of the key recruits of the 2009 signing class, will enroll at Arizona Western this season.

Brackenridge's former Kapolei teammate, linebacker Chad Lopati, also signed with UH but will attend Arizona Western College this fall, Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said.

Kaneshiro also writes that 2009 signee Joey Iosefa will grayshirt, and talks to recent commits David Lefotu and Viliami Fonokalafi.

His football accomplishments -- first-team All-Western Athletic Conference, named twice to the prestigious Warrior Club and to the 1988 Hula Bowl, member of the first all-Polynesian line in NCAA history -- cemented his credentials for UH's top 100. If he wasn't snapping the football and then nimbly using his 6-foot-2, 285-pound frame to pull his blocks in a triple-option offense -- if he didn't play on a UH team that knocked off No. 9 Iowa his senior season and was probably the best 9-3 squad never to go to a bowl game -- Amosa doesn't join honorees ranging from Larry Price to Colt Brennan, from Tommy Kaulukukui to Jason Elam.

But the numbers and victories do little to paint the portrait of Amosa, who fittingly came home last year as head football coach at Campbell, back to where a bamboo-shoot thin freshman could barely bench-press the 45-pound bar that held the weights.

Using a black Sharpie, David Maeva wrote "Jimmy" on the white towel that hung from his hip pad, penning his own football future.

It was Sept. 3, 1988, at Aloha Stadium. The season opener against ninth-ranked Iowa was Maeva's first game as a University of Hawaii starter. But the chicken skin he felt as the band played "Hawaii Five-0," quickly dissolved, turning him into a Rainbow running around like a chicken without a head. Scared, confused and lost at times, Maeva was left embarrassed by his play in the first half.

"I was sitting and crying in front of my locker," Maeva recalled. "I was all sick, just staring at the 'Jimmy' I wrote on my towel."

"Jimmy" was James Ferrigno, Maeva's Kamehameha Schools classmate who died in a car crash less than a month before the Hawkeyes flew into town.

"Jimmy would expect more from me," Maeva said. "I promised myself right then and there I'd never play like a wimp again. And I never did, for Jimmy."

The June Jones Foundation established the mission last year. Along with Jones, current Warriors coach Greg McMackin and former UH players Jesse Sapolu and Ma'a Tanuvasa are returning for the second year.

"Those kids are so receptive and so respectful, it's an awesome feeling to go out there and see so many Samoan brothers out there," Tanuvasa said. "They just soak everything in.

"They're catching up to us, but a lot of the kids are coming in slippers and bare feet and still kind of grasping the game. The coaches out there have done a great job; they already know a lot of the basics."

Satele, UH assistants Craig Stutzmann and Tony Tuioti, former UH lineman Ta'ase Faumui also made the trip. Jack Thompson, known as the "Throwin' Samoan" during his days at Washington State and with the Cincinnati Bengals, will also be part of the clinics.

JACK THOMPSON, "The Throwin' Samoan," noted the incredible statistic that a male from American Samoa is 40 times more likely to play in the NFL than a non-Samoan American.

But the health care stats aren't so good. Jones pointed out some of them. The more cynical among you will call this a glorified football recruiting trip. But $400,000 in medical supplies and services and the fact that this is the second annual venture speak otherwise of the June Jones Foundation.

Like most back then, Wise played both ways. He excelled on each side of the football. When he died in 1964, 40 years after showing off his skills, columnists for both Honolulu newspapers credited Wise with being the best passer who had ever stepped onto the island, including visiting Hula Bowl slingers Fran Tarkenton and Paul Hornung. But could he run? A four-touchdown game against Colorado State should answer that question, the only time that feat would be accomplished until Larry Arnold did it in 1968.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Bears wasted no time in moving Pisa Tinoisamoa into the starting lineup.

As organized team activities ended, coach Lovie Smith announced that the former Ram will be the starting strongside linebacker. Tinoisamoa beat out Hunter Hillenmeyer for the job.

Ryan Mouton is one of the many candidates for the Tennessee Titans' punt and kick returner jobs. The Tennessean has a quote from him regarding his special teams experience.

Rookies Ryan Mouton and Jason McCourty, both cornerbacks, had return experience in college. Mouton averaged 21.4 yards on kickoff returns last season at Hawaii, including a 90-yard score at No. 22 Fresno State. At Blinn Junior College in Texas, he returned both.

"It doesn't matter," Mouton said. "Whichever I can come in and help and contribute."

"Obviously, it was really disappointing not getting drafted," he told me during a recent interview. "But at the same time, I use every negative thing and turn it into a positive. I try to just go out and prove everybody wrong."

Bess signed a free agent contract with the Dolphins and made the roster. And when Greg Camarillo was felled by injury, the hungry rookie stepped in and made people notice that he has the skill to play in this league.

During the final six games of the season, Bess averaged nearly six catches per game with 35 receptions for 366 yards. Over the complete span of his rookie season, he pulled in 54 balls for 554 yards and one touchdown.

Denver's Eddie Royal (91) and Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson (62) were the only rookie wide receivers with more catches. But considering they each started 15 games compared to Bess' six, you have to believe that Bess could put up some big-time numbers this season if he can pick up where he left off.

"I feel good right now," he said. "Obviously, having a year under my belt, I'm going out there a lot more confident. I can just go out there and play ball now."

Kailua High defensive end Calen Friel has accepted a football scholarship from the Warriors.Friel is 6 feet 2 and 240 pounds."I was a Warrior fan since I was a little kid," said Friel, who participated in the recently completed UH Big Man's Camp for offensive and defensive linemen.

Join the University of Hawai‘i football team on the road for away games during the 2009 season and become a "UH Road Warrior"! Support the team and receive Rainbowtique discounts for online purchases of UH apparel!

A $50 UH Road Warrior contribution to ‘Ahahui Koa Ānuenue (AKA) offers you the opportunity to purchase up to four (4) tickets for any or all UH football road games and seating priority in areas designated for UH fans. Priority seating tickets are available in units of four (4) per $50 contribution. Your contribution supports scholarships for student-athletes at the UH-MĀnoa campus, is 80% tax deductible, and includes membership in ‘Ahahui Koa Ānuenue.

Stephen Tsai writes that offensive lineman David Lefotu of Pearl City High (woot woot!) and defensive lineman Viliami "Pep" Fonokalafi of Kaimuki High will become Warriors.

Lefotu, who is 6 feet 4 and 295 pounds, is the first Charger lineman to receive a UH football scholarship since Brian Derby in 1981.

"Not even Jason Scott Lee got one," mused David Hallums, a family friend.

Fonokalafi, who is 6 feet and 290 pounds, plays defensive tackle and defensive end for the Bulldogs.

Both cited family and friends in their decisions.

"It's the overall hospitality," Lefotu said. "I grew up here. I lived here my whole life. I don't think there's anything better than playing in front of the people you love and the people you grew up knowing. It's the friendly environment the people of Hawai'i have to offer."

Lefotu received offers from California and Wyoming, and drew interest from Oregon.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Earlier this year LaBoy played in the NFL Superbowl with the Arizona Cardinals, but now he's in the Islands for a little rest and relaxation after undergoing surgery which will hold him out of the upcoming season.

However, he made a special effort to come and talk to the future players of Hawaii.

"I think it's important just to be here and be able to answer questions, just to let these guys here to let them know, I'm no different than you, it's just the decisions you make that allow you to be successful," said LaBoy

"It's important that players get to see guys that have made it in this profession, and the first thing he said is make sure you get good grades," said Warrior head coach Greg McMackin.

Kisha Tapangan of PatriotsInsider.com profiled Jake Ingram, and talked to his former coach, Ikaika Malloe:

Malloe has high expectations for Ingram in the NFL, just as he did at the University of Hawaii, "I truly believe he will be one of the best snappers in the NFL if he continues to get better," Malloe said. "Jake Ingram, I believe, will set the bar for what a long snapper should have in terms of tools for the NFL. I wish him luck in his career in New England."

How's the calf?"You see me running. I'm doing good. I'm doing coach Mel's workouts every day. He's been getting me right. That's all I can ask for: a good strength coach. I'm working on getting my leg 100 percent."Soares suffered the injury on the second day of training camp."It was a typical hitting drill. It was a freak accident. The Lord has a plan for us. Whatever happens, happens for a reason. Only the man upstairs knows."On missing the entire 2008 season:"It was very frustrating. It was hard to go to every game, and having to sit out. That's life. I'm sad to say I'm injury prone. I talked to (former UH running back) Nate Ilaoa. He said, 'Bro, you've just go to deal with it.' He was in the same situation as me. He knows what I'm going through."Katoosh."I love to hit. But, to me, I'm just another player trying to make my family and the state proud."

A fan of UH's run-and-shoot offense, Spain said he followed the Warriors during Colt Brennan's career and made sure to watch whenever UH appeared on ESPN. So when his father was sending out scouting tapes to college and asked Spain which schools he was interested in, Hawaii ranked right near the top of his wish list.

He attended a camp at Arizona State, but the Sun Devils already had a quarterback committed. So ASU coach Dennis Erickson directed Spain to the Hawaii staff.

Not long after, Spain (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) got a call from the UH coaches offering him a scholarship.

"Basically I was overwhelmed," said Spain, who also had an offer from New Mexico State and took a couple of days to confer with his family and coaches before committing.

"The recruiting process was different that I expected, but it ended up working out great."

Kaneshiro also talks to incoming kicker Scott Enos.

The kicker out of Sierra (Calif.) College signed a scholarship agreement with UH last month and moved to Hawaii to start summer school about a week later.

Since then he's been a regular in the weight room and at Ching Field preparing for his shot to compete for the kicking job vacated by Dan Kelly last season.

Summer vacation? Not so much for the Warriors these days.Hawaii quarterback Greg Alexander said his days normally stretch from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with conditioning, classes and voluntary workouts filling his schedule.He was at Ching Field for the Warriors’ 7-on-7 session this afternoon, then stuck around for more running.“It’s still work time,” Alexander said.With the offense putting together a strong spring, the Warriors are hoping to maintain that momentum through the summer by getting together for 7-on-7s four days a week.“Guys are picking it up, we’re hitting our landmarks and everything’s a lot crisper and smoother than last year,” said Alexander, who was taking his first steps in the system a summer ago. “We know how it’s supposed to look as opposed to just trying to figure it out on the fly.”

He also had an impressive showing at Arizona State's recent one-day camp. The Sun Devils already received a commitment from a quarterback for 2010. ASU head coach Dennis Erickson recommended Spain to UH head coach Greg McMackin. In the 1990s, McMackin was Erickson's defensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks and at the University of Miami.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Quarterback Kevin Spain of Paradise Valley High in Arizona told The Warrior Beat he has accepted a football scholarship from the Warriors."I'm really happy about it," said Spain, who is 6 feet 2 and 190 pounds. "I've always been a fan of Colt Brennan. I can't wait to play in his offense."Spain also plays baseball and lacrosse.Span attended Arizona State's football camp. ASU already received a commitment from a quarterback. But ASU head coach recommended Spain to Greg McMackin. McMackin was Erickson's defensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks in the mid-1990s."I committed (to UH) today," Spain said. "I'm super-excited about everything."

Congrats to Kevin!

Also in that Tsai post is a Q&A with Jett Jasper. Here's an excerpt:

J-E-T-T. Jett! Jett! Jett!The uniquely named Jett Jasper, a sophomore wideout from Kaua‘i, took a couple of minutes to chat with the Warrior Beat.Jett?"The story has it when I was in my mom's tummy, I was kicking around, like I was due to take off like a jet on an aircraft carrier. That's why they named me Jett. I love how the name is Jett, and not many people have it. I feel special."

Season breakdown & prediction: It’s a role reversal for the 2009 Warriors, who go from having a questionable offense and a talented defense to vice versa. If this team could return last year’s defense and combine it with what will be an improved offensive unit, I would have U.H. as the second-best team in the WAC. However, I don’t think McMackin and his staff will be able to offset losing nine starters on this side of the ball, five of whom earned all-WAC honors on at least one occasion. So where do I put the Warriors in the WAC pecking order? Fifth, in terms of where it falls on the Countdown, but in a tie with Fresno State and Louisiana Tech for third. I like the offense, which returns seven starters, and think it can make great strides over its mediocre performance of a season ago. Obviously, my often-repeated concerns over the defense limit my faith in Hawaii’s conference title hopes, but I believe the unit will do enough to allow U.H. to make another trip to the Hawaii Bowl. I think the Warriors will match last fall’s 7-6 regular season; if, somehow, the defense remains strong, eight wins is well within the range of possibility.

As the first read in the option, Fakava averaged 4.7 yards per carry while scoring 16 touchdowns as a junior. He set a school record with five touchdowns against Yale, a mark that stood alone for 17 years before being matched by Chad Owens in 2004.

He began his senior year with the landmark win over Iowa, leaving the game on several occasions only to later return to the huddle.

"I was kind of beaten up a little bit," said Fakava, who scored on a 28-yard run and a 1-yard plunge that tied the game in the fourth quarter. "They had some big guys and it's one thing for them to hit you and another when they land on you."

When the Rainbows bookended the 1988 season with a win over Oregon, Fakava left the program with 2,111 yards, good for third on Hawaii's all-time list at the time, and a then-record 31 rushing touchdowns.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Rob & Russ interviewed Dallas Cowboys punter Mat McBriar last week and the audio file is now available on their website. McBriar talked about his time in Hawaii, being named to The Centurions list, recovering from his broken foot, etc.

Greg McMackin, head coach for the University of Hawai‘i Warrior football program is coming back to Kaua‘i.

McMackin, his staff, and possible appearances by former Hawai‘i Warriors Davone Bess and Colt Brennan, as well as Ray Lewis, who played for McMackin when he was the defensive coordinator at the University of Miami, will be part of free football clinics July 6-8 at Vidinha Stadium.

The County’s Anti-Drug Office in partnership with Hawai‘i Speed & Quickness will be offering the clinics designed to teach young athletes the latest football techniques and drills.

Jason Kaneshiro has an update on Dylan Linkner, notes that the Big Man's camp starts tomorrow and writes about the postives of UH's Junior Day.

A couple of months after holding its first Junior Day, it looks like the benefits are already starting to roll in for UH.Campbell receiver Samson Anguay and Moanalua offensive lineman Frank Loyd were among the high schoolers who participated in the event, which factored into their decisions to commit to the Warriors.“After our Junior Day at Hawaii, I really found a love for the campus and for the people,” Anguay said. “I have a chance to play for my hometown and I wanted to play in front of my family.”Moanalua coach Arnold Martinez said Loyd’s parents, “were really impressed with the Junior Day.”“(The UH coaches are) really trying to kick in another level of recruiting for local kids. I think it’s paying off because it made a great impression on Frank and his family.”Martinez expects other schools to make a run at the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Loyd, but said he appears solidly committed to UH.

I watched football games from the "reds" MM section from the age of 1, and Eddie is my all-time favorite player to sport the green and white. I can still remember the torn jerseys, the blood dripping from his chin and elbows. I swear, he must have led the conference in Band-Aid usage.

He played slotback, safety, and return man while also playing the role of the ultimate underdog.

He entered the program as a 165-pound, 17-year-old "athlete" out of Damien and left as the single-game tackles leader with 23 against Fresno State in 1996, a record that still stands.

In the final game of his career, playing in the all green uni against storied Notre Dame, he put together an effort that my KITV colleague Robert Kekaula says "single-handedly almost beat the Irish."

"I'd say we're pretty good friends, we compete against each other, and now we'll be at the same school in the future. He's a good guy and I'm thrilled," said Lau, an incoming senior at Kailua.

Lau and Anguay, a Campbell standout, both participated in UH's skills camp this week and jumped at the chance to commit to the Warriors, joining Moanalua lineman Frank Loyd in UH's 2010 recruiting class.

"I'm still asking myself if this is actually real," Anguay said. "It's always been my dream to play Hawaii football, and when (UH coach Greg McMackin) offered I said I was going to commit right away.

"I want to play in front of my family and show my hometown and show everybody in the nation that Hawaii is a school to be reckoned with."

Anguay and Lau are both long-time Warrior fans. Anguay said his role models were former UH slotbacks Chad Owens, Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullins.

Several of Anguay's friends and relatives believed he should attend a Mainland college. But that changed after Anguay attended the Warriors' Junior Day in April. The event was considered an unofficial visit during which high school players could tour the school facilities and meet with academic advisers and counselors.

"After talking to some players who left (Hawai'i) and then came back, we knew staying home was the best decision," said his mother, Suzette Anguay.

Samson Anguay said: "UH is the place to be. I can get a good education, and I can play football. I have a chance to play in front of my family and friends."

Both are enrolled in UH.Nicola, who is 6 feet 2 and 165, is a 2009 graduate of Colorado's Glenwood Springs.Dingle, who was raised in Alabama, recently completed a stint in the Army. Dingle, who is 6 feet and 202 pounds, is friends with former UH slotbacks Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullins.Nicola projects as a wideout; Dingle as a slotback.Both would be willing to redshirt or grayshirt.

This comes from Kevin Kaplan, director of the June Jones Foundation:“We are doing our second annual American Samoa Football Academy & Medical Mission, June 26 and 27 in Pago Pago, sponsored by the June Jones Foundation. Jesse Sapolu, Jack Thompson, Samson Satele, Ta’ase Faumui and Ma’a Tanuvasa will accompany Coach Jones and McMackin as well as 10 doctors, nurses and other medical personnel on the trip. In all, we will be bringing $250,000 of donated medical supplies to the people of American Samoa.”

Guess who’s back?Yep, linebacker Blaze Soares has fully recovered from an achilles’ injury, and is doing sprint drills at Cooke/Ching field.Soares, who weighed 259 pounds in April, is now down to 236.In addition to running and lifting weights, he has kept fit doing yardwork.

Left tackle Aaron Kia also has benefitted from an intense conditioning program. Kia’s weight had dropped to 270 during spring training. But now he has up to 290 while maintaining his agility. He looked nimble during blocking drills yesterday.

He was lightning, this kid. That's how we remember him. Matthew Harding was so fast at the snap he would race the ball back to the punter, and there were times you would swear it was a tie. There were times he hit the punter before the poor guy could even flip the laces -- Harding had no choice; it wasn't roughing. It was a sack. He was early, not late. He actually got there too fast to block the kick.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Ulbrich is one of the longest-tenured 49ers, and he has not taken a day for granted. Considering the average NFL career lasts roughly two years, Ulbrich, 32, knows each offseason practice could be his last.

"I always went into the season like I was that guy on the bubble and could be cut anytime," Ulbrich said. "I think that's what kept me up through these years. I've been here long enough to know nobody's safe."

Especially head coaches; Ulbrich is on his fourth. During his early years, a coaching job at San Francisco seemed as stable as the team's success. With Steve Mariucci at the helm, Garcia under center and Ulbrich and company holding their own on defense, the 49ers rebuilt its winning tradition, culminating in its run to the 2003 NFC Divisional Playoffs.

The 49ers have not had a winning season since.

In the wake of its 7-9 finish in 2008, though, there has been talk of an impending turnaround.

Stephen Tsai writes that Moanalua offensive lineman Frank Loyd Jr will become a Warrior, making him the first commit of the 2010 class.

"I've always wanted to be a Warrior," Loyd said. "I was born and raised here. I watched a lot of their football games. It was exciting to be in the stands. It's going to be wonderful to be on the field."

Loyd is 6 feet 3 and 260 pounds. He plays left tackle for the Menehune.

Those who saw him play for Roosevelt and the University of Hawaii recall a supreme athlete, nimble of foot and mind. But his greatest weapon was rarely used -- a strong, accurate arm. In the 1950s, the forward pass remained a novelty, not something you build a gameplan around.

"He was more throwing if I remember," said Jimmy Asato, who later coached with him. "But no one really threw then."

Botelho said he was ready to let loose when he got the starting quarterback's job. "I liked to throw the ball. But we (as a team) didn't."

He was a sophomore on the 1955 team that beat Nebraska 6-0 in Lincoln.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

McBriar didn't resume punting until March, first aiming for targets merely feet away and slowly progressing into a normal routine. He said he still feels a bit "rusty" but admits he's never pleased with his consistency at this point in the off-season.

"I hadn't been kicking every day like I'm going to be for the next three days," he said. "So there's a little bit of soreness associated with just doing it without any rest."

McBriar eventually expects to reach his own standards. In the meantime, he's simply grateful for his health.

"I'm not sort of thinking I'm going to come in (this week) and set the world on fire," he said, "but my foot feels good.

"It's good to be back involved. I remember when I first came in I was really excited about things and I kind of feel like I've gotten a little more excitement back."

The sprints were run on the Cooke/Ching field's synthetic track. Because they had completed an hour of unsupervised workouts, they were wearing turf shoes, not sprinter's cleats. They did not have a practice run.Under those conditions, against slight tradewinds, Taylor ran the 40 in 4.31 seconds.Thing is, the distance was not in yards but in meters.That equates to a distance of 43.7445 yards. "He's fast," Anthony Pollard said.

Tsai also has a picture of Corey Nieslen at his high school graduation.

“We really stress fundamentals and technique,” McMackin says. “It’s a great chance for local players to work with our entire staff of coaches and with former Warrior players.”

Not only do present and future high school stars get a firsthand chance to share in Coach Mack’s passion and enthusiasm, but they begin to build the bonds that will help them all making important recruiting/college placement decisions down the road. In the world of college football recruiting, summer camps have become an important tool for college programs - whether those camps are located in Gainesville, Fla., Norman, Okla., Los Angeles or Honolulu, or on college football fields everywhere in between.

“Last year, we gave out 11 scholarship offers at our camp,” McMackin says.

Of course, not every scholarship offered is a scholarship taken, but Coach Mack says that the University of Hawaii has a great success rate. “Eight-nine percent of those who committed decided to stay,” he says. The reason for that is often because of the relationships that began with the summer camps.

“We get to build those relationships,” he says. “(The campers) get to see how proud it is to be from Hawaii and to be a part of Hawaii football.”

Today, the Star-Bulletin kicks off their countdown of "The Centurions", the 100 greatest UH football players in the program's 100 year history. Numbers 96 to 100, along with accompanying photo illustrations (which I hope they make into actual sports cards) are:

Those were the words of Star-Bulletin sportswriter Billy Hull as he turned in his ranking of the 100 greatest football players in University of Hawaii history. It was a tough job for all who voted, and there's no way we could have put this together without the input of many people who covered, coached and played UH football.

The head coaches listed all either provided comments or consulted in other ways; they chose not to vote, although most did provide No. 1 choices, which we will reveal later. We also conferred with several former players from different eras who chose to not be acknowledged.

It wasn't always Perry on the left, Price on the right. Some recall when it was Ellis on the left, Price all over the place.

Left tackle Agenhart Ellis played with Larry Price on the University of Hawaii football team in 1963 and '64, before Price became an assistant coach, then head coach.

"A man, older than us. And he played that way," Ellis said.

Way before radio stardom, Price was a rugged 6-foot-1, 240-pound bulldog home from the Army, playing wherever needed, up and down the lines. Normally middle guard on defense and right tackle on offense.

Today’s first installment provides a taste of what’s to come between now and August. The first five touches both the program’s formative years (No. 97 Rusty Holt, a star in the 1920s) and the recent past (No. 99 Jake Ingram, who finished his career last fall). Also in today’s edition are:>> No. 100 Craig Stutzmann: His punt into the stands against BYU in 2001 alone has to be worth a few points, right?>> No. 98 Alex Kaloi: A key figure in the 1974 win over the Cougars and father to successful tennis-playing daughters.>> No. 96 Larry Price: Who earned greater prominence after his playing days.It’ll be fun to see the list unfold and hopefully it delivers a football fix until fall camp. Enjoy.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Titans continue to work without veteran center Kevin Mawae (elbow) and defensive end Jevon Kearse (knee), although rookies such as cornerback Ryan Mouton (hamstring) and defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks (hamstring) have shown improvement from nagging injuries.

A free-agent rookie from Hawaii, Bess finished sixth in the AFC and 10th overall in punt returns with an 11-yard average. He proved a significant upgrade over fellow receiver Ted Ginn Jr., who averaged just 7.8 yards on seven returns.

"And we haven't seen his best yet," special teams coach John Bonamego said of Bess. "He's improved and he'll continue to improve."

A solidly built 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, Bess, 23, brings similar attributes to the job as Reggie Bush, whom Bonamego had in his last coaching stop at New Orleans before coming to Miami last season.

"Davone's a guy who's built low to the ground, who's got very good initial quickness, and he's strong," Bonamego said after one of the Dolphins' final practices before their summer break. "For a guy who's not really big, he's built more like a running back. He's not easy to knock off his feet."

From a distance, "the hill" doesn't look that imposing, but as you get closer, it's a bit intimidating. Coach Singletary had it built for conditioning purposes.

"I think they'll see a difference once the season gets underway," says Coach Singletary.

"Yeah, he's definitely utilized it and I feel it out there. I feel stronger, more powerful, faster, " says 49er linebacker Jeff Ulbrich.

The concept of the hill is to build football muscle mass by running up and down hill, putting a different strain on the thighs and hamstrings. It's also an alternative to running on level ground and of course misery loves company, especially when working out.

"The most neglected muscle that we train is the mind sometimes. It's tough to run that thing. We run it non-stop for 20-30 minutes straight sometimes, so it definitely tests you upstairs," says Ulbrich.

We're calling it "The Centurions." The 100 greatest players, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of University of Hawaii football.

Starting tomorrow we count them down, with photos and stories recounting the stars, from the Wonder Teams of the 1920s through the Dream Season of the Sugar Bowl.

A panel of media — some linked with UH football back to the 1950s — ranked them, in consultation with every head coach of the past 35 years, except for one.

Five will be revealed each day from tomorrow to the end of June, and then each of the top 30 gets his own day and profile by a Star-Bulletin or guest writer. The running list will be posted online, on a Web page where readers can comment on each selection.

It's six weeks until the start of fall camp, but there will be a daily dose of UH football history every day in the Star-Bulletin.

The story behind the goatee:"When I take off my helmet, the girls can go, "oooh."

He answers to Da Bizzness and Agent 6."That's my jersey number. They gave me 28 when I got out here (last summer). I went with it. I wasn't going to say anything. I was a newcomer, and (quarterback) Tyler Graunke was here longer than me. He deserved it. He was a senior. I didn't play that year, so I wasn't really trippin'. When the season ended, I went to coach's office and asked for No. 6."

Monday, June 15, 2009

Wearing a brace on his right knee and feeling a little timid, former University of Hawaii guard Vince Manuwai returned to practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.

Even though he took just three snaps with the first-team offense, it was Manuwai’s first full practice since tearing two knee ligaments more than nine months ago.

“It’s not like they’re trying to throw me in the fire,” Manuwai said. “They’re working me in. Am I anxious? Yeah, but I’m not trying to force it at the same time. I don’t want nothing bad to happen. Part of it, too, is getting your mind right before the hitting and all that.”

Manuwai, who tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee during last year’s opener, was initially scheduled to be back at the start of training camp next month. But he dropped 30 pounds during his rehabilitation and showed enough leg strength and mobility that the training staff cleared him for the final week of organized team activities.

In 2010, UH will open the season against perennial national championship contender Southern California (Sept. 2) of the Pac-10. The Warriors will play road games at Army (Sept. 11) and at Colorado (Sept. 18) of the Big 12. UH also moved its game against Football Championship Subdivision’s Charleston Southern to Sept. 25, a game that was previously scheduled for 2011. Hawai‘i concludes the season at home against UNLV (Dec. 4).

In 2011, UH will play three BCS conference teams – Colorado (Sept. 3), at Washington (Sept. 10), and Washington State (Nov. 26) in addition to a road game at UNLV (Sept. 17).

The following year, UH and Brigham Young will renew its rivalry with the first of home-and-home contests in Provo, Utah (Sept. 8). That game is the back-end of a two-game road trip which includes a match-up at USC (Sept. 1).

Three home dates have been filled in 2013 – USC (Aug. 31), BYU (Sept. 14), and Army (Nov. 30).

UH will play UNLV four times from 2014 through ’18 – twice in Honolulu and twice in Las Vegas. The Warriors will play at Colorado in 2014 (Sept. 20) and host the Buffaloes in 2015 (Sept. 5). UH’s four-game series with Army concludes in 2018 (Sept. 15) and 2019 (Nov. 30).

This year's official schedule, as well as future schedules, can be viewed here.

I think this is the third or fourth article about Mat McBriar being fully recovered from his broken punting foot, but Tim MacMahon of the Dallas Morning News has empirical proof!

Punter Mat McBriar, who missed most of last season after breaking his foot in the OT loss to Arizona, has returned to Pro Bowl form. McBriar was booming the ball at the beginning of the morning practice.

McBriar booted one ball about 65 yards in the air, so far that Felix Jones couldn't get to it after turning and sprinting. And it was beautifully directed, too, landing about a yard inside of the sideline. The ball took a nice bounce and would have rolled at least another 15 yards if a Cowboys staffer didn't stop it.

You can cross McBriar's right foot off the list of Cowboys injury concerns.

Angelo has been making decisions that prove the Bears are going for it now. Signing left tackle Orlando Pace isn't a stop-gap measure, it's a win-now move. Adding Pisa Tinoisamoa with Nick Roach and Hunter Hillenmeyer already in place isn't a stop-gap measure or a move to add depth. It's a win-now move.

The Dolphins still have a problem with Bess and that is where to utilize him the most. Bess makes a good slot receiver but the Phins will not always run with a slot guy and will sometimes substitute a TE or a RB into the position when they switch to the WildCat formation.

Bess, in theory could push Ted Ginn for the number 1 spot moving the speed burner to the inside where the Phins could make some major mismatched formations. Bess could potentially take over the number 2 WR position thus putting Camarillo into the slot where he too could face LB coverages.

For the Dolphins, Bess is that wildcard that could dictate how the rest of the WR’s lineup. A solid training camp could push the Dolphins to utilize him on the field full time and if that happens, the shake-up of who moves, Ted Ginn or Greg Camarillo, could be a fun one to watch play out. In any case, Bess is in no danger of losing his job or his roster spot.

Slotback Miah Ostrowski, who grayshirted in 2007 and redshirted last season, is preparing for his first real season as a Warrior. Through intense daily double workouts, he has lost weight, added muscle and improved his quickness. The former Punahou standout — he was All-State in basketball and football — took a couple of minutes to answer questions from the Warrior Beat.

Basketball or football? "Basketball is my love, but I enjoy football. I thought I was going to play basketball here. If they told me to come out — and I had coach Mack's approval — I'd come out right away. But I have to focus on football first."

Tsai also notes that UH is considering a cost-cutting measure where they would no longer print media guides.

White to Bess underneath the coverage for a 10-yard score. After that drill ended, Bess staying behind to spend a few minutes for Bill Parcells, who jumps out of the golf cart to demonstrate a thing or two. The talk ended with Parcells giving Bess a fist bump.

Members of the 'Ahahui Koa Anuenue booster club, corporate sponsors and season ticket holders have been able to purchase tickets for road games in a UH priority area. Beginning this season, non-season ticket holders and Mainland fans may also purchase tickets in the priority areas under the "Road Warrior" program.

For a $50 donation, which will go to the athletic scholarship fund, UH said non-season ticket holders and Mainland fans may purchase up to four tickets per game in a priority seating area ahead of the general public.

"There has definitely been a growing demand for these seats," said Vince Baldemor, president of the booster club.

UH said it will have at least 2,250 tickets for the game at Qwest Field against the Cougars and 8,000 tickets for the UNLV game. But Baldemor said the home schools "have told us we can have what we need."

Lewis takes a look at Hawaii's first opponent of the season, I-AA Central Arkansas, which has been a very good team since ascending from Division II, but are ineligible to play in the post-season due to some strange NCAA rule.

Here it is more than two months before the start of the football season and despite being ranked as high as No. 8 in the preseason polls, the University of Central Arkansas knows that even with another 10-2 — or better — finish it won't be conference champion or play in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) playoffs.

But the Bears will be coming to Hawai'i.

To head coach Clint Conque, who engineered the trip, that means plenty.

To the 16 returning starters and 48 returning lettermen who have, practically to a man, been sweating through unsupervised workouts in the Arkansas humidity, the Sept. 4 season opener has been something to rally around.

Even though they're I-AA (or FCS), it sounds like they're gonna be a tough season opener for UH.

It was disappointing to hear that defensive tackle Keahi Watson's UH career has likely ended. He is not on the 120-player active roster.He is best known as being the younger brother of former UH defensive tackle Keala Watson.I'll remember him as a good guy who harbored a dream of playing for the Warriors — so much so that he relinquished a scholarship at Saint Francis University to transfer to UH a few years ago.